Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20021103.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part XIV: Resting In Christ's Power For Our Help With Opponents
(Psalm 110:1 with Matthew 26:64 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Conflict with difficult parties is always unwelcome, but many times unavoidable! Trying to solve such conflict problems can be a formidable experience:

(1) About once a year, I hear of a child in the neighborhood or in our Church who finds himself having to deal with a bully on the school bus, at school or down the street! Bullies like to step on your lunch box, pull your hair, clobber your head with your own Social Studies book or simply make fun of you in front of your friends!

What can a Christian boy or girl RIGHTLY do to handle the problem of bullies at school or play?

(2) There is a blond-colored cocker spaniel on my street that becomes a horrendous problem for pedestrians when the neighbors don't keep him on a leash. One time, while walking across the street from the house where the dog lives, he came at me with a fierce bark until I had no choice but to crouch in a threatening way just to make him stop. A car happened along and had to stop in the road as the dog just stayed out in the middle of the street and barked up a storm at me!

Finally, the neighbor lady came out and very gently scolded her dog until he finally left the road so the car could continue and I could walk away! (How I wish that car had been a police car!)

I wanted to throw a stone at the mut and teach him a little bit of humility, but wondered what that would do to my testimony under the circumstances!

What does a Christian pedestrian do to handle the problem of such a yapping dog when the neighbor refuses to keep him in accord with the law?

(3) A nurse my daughter had in the Long Island hospital we all called "Inspector 32" after the famous Haine's Underwear ad. This "inspector" in the ad is a rather crusty, large lady who scowls into the camera and barks, "They don't say Haines' until I say they say Haines'!" Yes, Connie that that kind of nurse, a rather amazing party to deal with when you are weak from brain surgery in the hospital!

How do we deal with conflict with "Inspector 32" nurses when we are incapacitated as hospital patients?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though I never wanted CONFLICT, I now am opposed by a party that unjustly threatens my welfare. What can be DONE about RELIEVING this matter in a RIGHTEOUS way?"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. Psalm 110:1 with Matthew 26:64 et al. informs us of Christ's ENTHRONEMENT at the Father's RIGHT HAND in the context of POWER over His evil OPPONENTS:
    1. When Jesus was bound and asked by the high priest if He was the Messiah, the Son of God, he was trying to "corner" Jesus either to discredit Himself by denying His claims just to save His life, or to confess them and suffer execution for it, Matthew 26:63.
    2. In the face of this opposition, Jesus not only claimed thereby to be the Messiah and Son of God, but predicted the high priest would see Him sit on God's right hand and return from heaven, Matthew 26:64.
    3. Well, Christ's prediction spoke of fulfilling Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:7-14 where Messiah would be given power and majesty at the Father's right hand to offset what enemies He and the Father faced:
      1. In Psalm 110:1, God the Father tells God the Son to sit at His right hand until He makes the Son's enemies a footstool for His feet.
      2. Then, in Daniel 7:7-14, Messiah is given dominion over all things in contrast to antichrist's effort to counter God's rule!
        1. Daniel 7:7-8 predicts antichrist's coming blasphemous rule.
        2. Daniel 7:9-12 predicts the judgment of antichrist and his rule.
        3. Daniel 7:13-14 predicts Messiah's rule beside the Father, a rule that is everlasting and sovereign over all things.
      3. Hence, Christ's allusion to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14 in their contexts was intended to apply to His conquest of the high priest and sanhedrin in their effort to overturn Jesus' Messianic rule!
  4. This reference to the "right hand" arose from help warriors gained by an armor-bearer who helped them with their FOES as follows:
    1. In the Ancient Near East, warriors protected their left side by a shield while their right was exposed to wield a weapon. Thus, they would employ an armor-bearer to their right, Z.P.E.B., vol. 3, p. 28.
    2. Hence, the right side of a warrior became the place of honor and power he would entrust to a man upon whom he depended to protect his own life while in combat.
  5. Since we believers were positionally placed "in Christ" when we believed in Him, His RULE at the Father's RIGHT HAND works to HELP us with OUR unjust opponents as well:
    1. As God the Father promised Jesus would sit beside Him in His place of power and honor until He, the Father had subdued Jesus' enemies, Jesus entrusted His welfare to the Father to turn the tables on the high priest and sanhedrin, cf. 1 Peter 2:23 with Matthew 26:63-64.
    2. God the Father delivered Jesus from His enemies by raising Him from the dead and causing Him to ascend to Himself in heaven only to be enthroned above all His enemies at His right hand, Ephesians 1:20-23.
    3. Accordingly, the believer can "rest" in Christ's promise of rule and power to handle opponents he faces so that he can still do God's will:
      1. The Apostle Paul prayed to God that the Ephesian believers would come to realize the "exceeding greatness" of His power that was directed to them in Christ from the Father, Ephesians 1:15-19a.
      2. That power is vested in Christ Who now rules over all spirit and human beings, whether they be demons, good angels, humans or everybody else in the Body of Christ, the Church, Eph. 1:19b-23.
      3. Hence, God promises the BELIEVER great deliverance from opponents HE faces so he may do God's will PROVIDING he lets GOD handle the opponents in HIS Biblical WAY (as Jesus did with His sanhedrin opponents), Rev. 3:21 with Ps. 110:1.
Application: If facing conflict we DREAD, (1) believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior to become a child of God, John 1:12-13. (2) In this wonderful position in Christ, (a) occupy yourself with God's will as revealed in Scripture, whether it involve how we live or how we serve the Lord in ministry, and (b) trust CHRIST to fulfill HIS promise to deliver us from opponents who seek to COUNTER His will FOR us in life and service, Rev. 3:21 with Psalm 110:1. (c) GOD will move mountains to deliver us!

Lesson: Though we may DREAD facing OPPOSITION if we trust in Christ and yield to HIS will in life, we can TRUST HIM to deliver us from the power of our opponents so we can DO God's will as JESUS Himself entrusted His welfare to the FATHER in standing before His opponents.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Early this year, one of my neighbors accidentally built part of a retaining wall and embankment for his swimming pool on the edge of my property. Our property lines converge in the woods at an awkward angle, making the mistake certainly understandable.

However, I made this discovery after we as a family had decided to proceed with our daughter's neurosurgery, so the last thing I needed was a possible conflict with my neighbor that might involve costs in lawyer and surveyor fees, let alone possible lifelong tensions in the neighborhood. Besides, the bank carrying my mortgage had a vested interest in the property, and I didn't know what step to take to keep from irritating the bank where they would call the loan and I'd have to pay the remaining mortgage balance in one fell swoop!

What a privilege it was to pray to God, trusting His sovereignty over the bank, surveyors, lawyer(s), neighbor and pocketbook! I spoke with my neighbor, and offered to solve the issue as considerately as possible providing I could legally protect myself. He offered to pay for a lawyer and surveyor for both of us, and wait for their suggestions.

When I returned from Long Island after Connie's surgery, a thick envelope from a local law firm was waiting in my mailbox. I nervously opened it to find the lawyer my neighbor had hired for both of us had drawn up an Easement Agreement regarding the pool that would be attached to the property title: my neighbor and I would not have to involve the bank, but agree on the liabilities involving the pool and its upkeep. My neighbor would agree to pay all the fees involved. All my wife and I had to do was sign the agreement at the law office!

I called the lawyer concerning the details of the paperwork, and he claimed my neighbor was concerned I stay happy, for the lawyer had told him I could make him move his pool at great cost to my neighbor if I insisted! We were in the driver's seat on this on!

No costs, no hassles, no problem! God in all His sovereignty in the heavens, a sovereignty over banks, lawyers, surveyors, neighbors and pocketbooks had come through as He so often had done before!